The funniest animal photos of 2015 revealed

The best entries in the inaugural Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards have been named

This year's winning photograph, by Julian Rad Photo: Julian Rad

The above image of a wild hamster, cheeks filled with food, expression of quiet determination writ large across its furry brow, has been named the funniest animal photo of the year at the inaugural Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.  



The hamster, or rather Julian Rad, the Austrian who captured it, beat hundreds of rivals to the top prize, earning himself a one-week holiday in Tanzania and a Nikon D750 camera in the process.

This stag took second place  Photo: William Richardson

Second and third place went to a pair of Britons: William Richardson, for his photo of an impeccably camouflaged stag in Richmond Park, and Oliver Dreike, for an image of a gorilla that swears it was just scratching its nose. Honest.

This gorilla swiped third  Photo: Oliver Dreike

Given that the award is in its first year, the number of entries - more than 1,500 - was impressive, as has been its global reach, with those entries coming from as far afield as Iraq, Macedonia, Uruguay, Belize and Sri Lanka.

This distressed hippo was one of 10 "highly commended" entries  Photo: Marc Mol

Images of animals looking foolish clearly hold a special place in everyone’s heart - regardless of nationality.

So too was this graceful cheetah  Photo: Mohammed Alnaser

 Among the judges were Hugh Dennis, the actor and comedian best known for his role in BBC’s Outnumbered, and Kate Humble, the broadcaster and regular contributer to Telegraph Travel, as well as several respected wildlife photographers, such as Will Burrard Lucas and Tom Sullam.

This ninja squirrel  Photo: Julian Rad

  “It was a pleasure to judge the inaugural Comedy Wildlife Awards,” said Hugh Dennis.

This amused seal  Photo: Julie Hunt

He added: “The number and quality of the entries was fantastic. The finalists should be very proud of themselves, as should the animals they photographed, simply for looking so funny. Sadly there is no way of telling them.”

This flapping bird  Photo: Charlie Davidson

In addition to being extremely entertaining, the awards aim to raise awareness of the work of The Born Free Foundation, the conservation and animal rights charity.

Photo: Megan Lorenz

And these clumsy owls

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5 of the Smartest Animals on Earth

1 - Dolphins are well-documented as intelligent animals. As Discovery News reports, the dolphin’s large brain is structured for awareness and emotion. In fact, dolphin brains are more structurally complex than humans.

2 - The New York Times reports on researchers who have found that domestic pigs can use mirrors to find their food, and will try to deceive other pigs so they can "hog" more food. They also learn quickly and can do tricks ranging from jumping through hoops to playing video games with joysticks.

3 -Anyone who has ever seen a squirrel dart across a crowded street has wondered if they are aware of the danger. It turns out they may be — but if there is food on the opposite end of the street they may not care. Squirrels are fast learners, according to a recent study from Science Daily, and they learn from their peers. Stealing food is a trick that squirrels pass along.

4 -Cows seem like placid animals merely concerned with chewing their cud. As it turns out, they possess a rich and complex emotional life. The Times reports that scientists have found that cows have friends and enemies. Further, “Cows are also capable of feeling strong emotions such as pain, fear and even anxiety they worry about the future.”

5 -Bees exhibit what experts call classic swarm intelligence. A single bee may not be smart in the classical sense, but a hive of bees is. As National Geographic reports, swarm intelligence works when no single creature sees “the big picture.” Rather, each works on simple rules in one location. But what happens when bees disagree? It turns out that they can hold a democratic “dance-off” to make a hive decision.

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6 Unexpectedly Intelligent Animals

Intelligence was once thought to only be present in humans. However studies on animal behavior shows that animals too have what we call intelligence. Although it’s not as administering an IQ test on a dog, animal intelligence can be observed. Animals have their own form of intelligence, and some species are smarter compared to others.

Here are some of the smartest animals.

Rats

Rats have long been used for a number of cognitive experiments to measure animal intelligence. They’re great at finding escape routes, shortcuts and loopholes. In the Chinese culture, rats are known for their resourcefulness and cunning.

Octopus

Never underestimate these eight-legged creatures. Octopus can actually get themselves out of a jar with a lid on it. They’re known to solve problems, play, navigate mazes and even have a pretty good short-term memory. These animals are very misunderstood, but researchers and scientist are now discovering more and more about their cognitive abilities.

Pigeons

A lot of people think that these birds are the “rats of the sky” because they’ve been known to spread illnesses, but these birds have done more than just spread diseases. Like rats, pigeons have also been used as subject of a number of scientific experiments. These birds can actually recognize a wide variety of images, even when a long time as passed. They identify themselves around mirrors and they can be trained to do a sequence of different actions.

Squirrel

Persistent with a good memory, squirrels have the ability to adapt to living amongst humans easily. Most squirrels show an impressive lineup of strategies and tricks that help them endure. These cleaver animals have learned that they can live off food from bird-feeders, garden plants, and whatever they can get their tiny paws on. 

Pig

You might think that these animals are just lazy and dirty, but they’re actually one of the most intelligent animals around. Both wide and domestic pigs have to ability to live and adapt to different ecological settings. You can also train them like dogs and cats. Certain pig species have also become common pets in a number of countries because of their flexibility.

Crow

Although these birds are considered a bad sign, they’re the smartest birds around. They’re very innovative, in fact some crows would even place nuts in the middle of the road so cars would run them over and break them out of their shells. Like parrots, you can also teach a crow how to mimic human language.

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Squirrels

Squirrels, with their bushy tails and cute ears, are part of the Sciuridae family of small and medium-sized rodents, often described to be one of the cutest creatures found in the wild.

In 1957, Walt Disney Studios released a feature entitled Perri, which focused on the life of squirrels as perceived through the experiences of Perri, a female squirrel. The feature explored the different natural predators and enemies known to squirrels, as it also looked into the courtship rituals and processes known to happen when young male and female squirrels meet.

As creatures of the wild, the squirrel’s cuteness factor is quite well established, leading many to think that the prospect of keeping them as household pets is feasible.

However, though keeping squirrels as pets is possible, domesticating them in the sense that squirrels can be trained by anyone to be at home in the house isn’t comparably ideal against keeping other domestic pets like cats or dogs.

As cute as they are, squirrels are actually not easy to domesticate, and while they do bear significant cuteness factors, they are also known to carry certain diseases and viruses like rabies.

Though there are cases when squirrels do manage to adjust well in homes and with households, the condition can’t really be considered as common. With most squirrels more inclined to roam free – not to be caged in – discouraged “pet” squirrel owners have confessed certain frustrations in how their “courtship” with squirrels are going.

Doubtless, squirrels do bear certain physical traits which attract people to them, planting the idea of keeping them as pets. But as real life has its own terms on how Mother Nature’s creatures’ have their own personalities and traits, the squirrel remains to be more inclined for the great outdoors, rather than be kept as a family pet.

 Squirrels Video

 

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Squirrel Wallpapers

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Squirrel

Squirrel

Squirrel is an animal belonging to the same family as rats and mice. Squirrels have evolved into many kinds occupying various habitats, such as tree squirrels, which spend their lives in the trees; ground squirrels, which make their house on the ground; prairie squirrels, which  search for food and breed in grasslands; and the flying squirrel, which has a skin membrane between the fore and hind legs that serves as a glider when the squirrel jumps from tree to tree. In fact, squirrels live in almost all habitats from tropical rain forests to semi-arid deserts, except the high polar regions and the driest deserts. Squirrels are mostly herbivores, living on seeds and nuts, but many will eat insects, and even small vertebrates.

Most types of squirrels have thick hair, especially on the tail, thus making the bushy appearance of their tail very interesting to see. In fact, the old name for squirrel means “shadow tail”.

While squirrels can be kept as pets, you’ll need a large enough cage. They are active and they become aggressive at maturity.

Squirrel

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Alpine Marmot Squirrel

Southern Flying Squirrel

Squirrel Gold Color

squirrel pictures

Grizzled Giant Squirrel

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